


Friendly Advice

by mydeira



Series: Something Maybe 'Verse [6]
Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-09
Updated: 2011-07-09
Packaged: 2017-10-21 04:58:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeira/pseuds/mydeira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tosh is on to Owen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendly Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: through “Small Worlds”
> 
> Disclaimer: Sadly, I am neither RTD nor the BBC. This is purely for the exorcism of the big bad bunny that landed on my head.
> 
> A/N: Follows Slow Day and takes place during the episode “Small Worlds.” This is the sixth installment in the Something Maybe ‘Verse. Written before “Countrycide” aired and because they wouldn’t let me move on until I wrote this. After seeing “Countrycide” and “Greeks Bearing Gifts”, I considered tossing this out, but I liked the dynamic too much.

“You’re hopeless, Harper.”

Owen jumped as Tosh perched herself on the edge of his desk.

“Have you done any work since we got back?” She crossed her arms and smirked down at him.

He hit a couple buttons and his report popped up. Then he read off in a dry, flat tone, “Estelle Cole. Cause of death: acute asphyxiation brought on by drowning in a freak rainstorm caused by a group of brassed off faeries.” Closing the window, he glared at Tosh. “Satisfied?”

“Jack won’t be. Especially, if he knows you’ve been watching Gwen and him the entire time they’ve been up in his office.”

“Something tells me Jack’s not going to be noticing much for a bit,” he said derisively. “He’s got a bottle of premium malt liquor and Gwen’s ever-sympathetic ear, my productivity is the last thing he’s worried about.”

Tosh’s expression softened. “You’ve gone beyond hopeless, haven’t you? Haven’t seen the jealous boyfriend routine from you in ages.”

“Don’t know what you’re on about,” he lied. He wished Tosh didn’t know him so well.

She rolled her eyes. “We both know I’m right, so why bother denying it?”

“I bother because you’re completely off base.”

“What? Just because she’s got a nice bloke at home and would never give you the time of day?” Shaking her head, she sighed, “Owen, has that ever stopped you?”

Oh, Gwen gave him the time of day. And then some. “I don’t pursue coworkers. Bad idea mixing business and pleasure.”

“So I’m not your coworker?” One of her eyebrows arched up inquisitively.

He flashed her his cheekiest grin. “You’re the reason I have the rule, Tosh. Office romances that go south when lives are on the line…”

“I wasn’t really going to let the Lygnk eat you, you know.”

“No, you just wanted me scared shitless.”

“Worked, too, didn’t it?” she laughed.

Too well. Bloody nasty sharp teeth mere centimeters from his bits… He couldn’t even look at a picture of a Lygnk without feeling slightly ill.

Leaning back in his chair, Owen spun around before looking at Tosh square on. She was never going to let this drop until he owned up to it. “You’d think by now I’d stop wanting the ones I can’t have.”

Tosh smiled sympathetically. “Then you wouldn’t be you, Owen.”

Those weren’t the most comforting words ever.

He turned his attention back to Jack’s office. It didn’t matter how many times he was lucky enough to have Gwen, she would never be his. If she didn’t go home to her bloke that night, she eventually would the next day. That was the way of it.

“Gwen’s a good girl,” he said. “Good girls don’t stray.” For very long.

Tosh stood. “Just be careful, Owen. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine, Tosh. Always land on my feet in the end, don’t I?”

“So far,” she said quietly. “But right now I suggest you stop staring and at least try to look like you’re working. Jack’s going to have a shorter fuse than usual; you don’t want to be on the receiving end.”

“Duly noted.”

After Tosh returned to her station, Owen turned back to watching Jack’s office. If he got caught, he got caught. He had bugger all else to do at the moment.


End file.
